Cruise control system for automotive vehicle

Abstract

A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle with a manual or automatic transmission, includes an inhibition circuit. The inhibiting circuit blocks communication between a power supply and an actuator and/or a controller when the manual transmission is set in a predetermined gear or when the automatic transmission is set in a driving range other than the drive range, so as to inhibit the controller from operating in the cruise control mode. When the vehicle is provided with an automatic transmission which is selectively set in first, second, third or fourth gear while the shift lever is set in the drive range position, the cruise control system includes a first inhibiting circuit which blocks the communication when the shift lever is set in a position other than the drive range position, and a second inhibiting circuit which blocks the communication when the automatic transmission is set in either the first or second range while the shift lever is set in the drive range position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle with a manual transmission, which transmission is selectively set in either a first, second, third or fourth gear in an advance drive mode, said system comprising: sensor means for monitoring the actual speed of the vehicle to produce a first signal indicative of the detected vehicle speed;   speed setting means for allowing manual setting of a desired speed of the vehicle to produce a second signal indicative of the set speed;   actuator means for actuating a mechanism which varies the vehicle speed;   control means for controlling said actuator means on the basis of said first and second signals so as to adjust the vehicle speed to said set speed; and   inhibiting means for inhibiting said control means from controlling said actuator means when said manual transmission is set in either said first, second or third gear.   
     
     
       2. A cruise control system as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises a power supply for supplying electrical power to said control means, and wherein said control means controls said actuator means so as to adjust the vehicle speed to said set speed while communication between said power supply and said control means is established, and said inhibiting means blocks said communication when said transmission is set in either said first, second or third gear. 
     
     
       3. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle with an automatic transmission which transmission is selectively operable between first, second, third and fourth gear while a shift lever is set in a drive range position, said system comprising: sensor means for monitoring the actual speed of the vehicle to produce a first signal indicative of the detected vehicle speed;   speed setting means for allowing manual setting of a desired speed of the vehicle to produce a second signal indicative of the set speed;   actuator means for actuating a mechanism which varies the vehicle speed;   control means for controlling said actuator means on the basis of said first and second signals so as to adjust the vehicle speed to said set speed; and   inhibiting means for inhibiting said control means from controlling said actuator means when said automatic transmission is in either said first or second gear while said shift lever is set in said drive range position.   
     
     
       4. A cruise control system as set forth in claim 3, which further comprises a power supply for supplying electrical power to said control means, and wherein said control means controls said actuator means so as to adjust the vehicle speed to said set speed while communication between said power supply and said control means is established, and said inhibiting means blocks said communication when said automatic transmission is set in either said first or second gear while said shift lever is set in said drive range position. 
     
     
       5. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle with a manual transmission, which transmission is selectively set in first, second, third or fourth gear in an advance drive mode, said system comprising: sensor means for monitoring the actual speed of the vehicle to produce a first signal indicative of the detected vehicle speed;   speed setting means for allowing manual setting of a desired speed of the vehicle to produce a second signal indicative of the set speed;   a power supply for supplying electrical power;   control means for controlling an actuator means on the basis of said first and second signals so as to adjust the vehicle speed to said set speed while communication between said power supply and said control means is established; and   inhibit means for blocking said communication to inhibit said control means from controlling said actuator means when said manual transmission is set in either said first, second or third gear.   
     
     
       6. A cruise control system for an automotive vehicle with an automatic transmission which transmission is selectively operable between first, second, third and fourth gear while a shift lever is set in a drive range position, said system comprising: sensor means for monitoring the actual speed of the vehicle to produce a first signal indicative of the detected vehicle speed;   speed setting means for allowing manual setting of a desired speed of the vehicle to produce a second signal indicative of the set speed;   actuator means for actuating a mechanism which varies the vehicle speed;   a power supply for supplying electrical power;   control means for controlling said actuator means on the basis of said first and second signals, so as to adjust the vehicle speed to said set speed while communication between said power supply and said control means is established; and   inhibiting means for inhibiting said control means from controlling said actuator means when said automatic transmission is in either said first or second gear while said shift lever is set in said drive range position.